JP6608228B2 - Navigation system, navigation device, navigation method, and computer program - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a navigation system, a navigation device, a navigation method, a computer program, and a user interface.

  In recent years, navigation systems that provide transfer guidance for public transportation such as trains and buses have become widespread. With regard to such a system, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for guiding a boarding position with a high probability of being seated according to the location of stairs and ticket gates of each station and the positional relationship between the entrances and exits of a train. ing.

JP 2007-210507 A JP 2013-19774 A

  However, in the technique described in Patent Document 1, for example, when a train is boarded at a boarding position different from a boarding position where the seating possibility is high, it is not always possible to sit on the train seat. Therefore, there is a need for route guidance technology that can further increase the possibility of being seated on a transportation seat such as a train.

SUMMARY An advantage of some aspects of the invention is to solve at least a part of the problems described above, and the invention can be implemented as the following forms.
The first aspect of the present invention is:
A navigation system,
A route information storage unit that stores route information indicating the connection state of points where each transportation can be entered;
A search unit that searches for a route from the departure point to the destination with reference to the route information;
For each point, a congestion rate information storage unit that stores congestion rate information representing a congestion rate for each time of each transportation facility;
A determination unit that refers to the congestion rate information at a point included in the searched route, and determines a seating possibility of being able to sit on a seat of the transportation facility in the searched route;
A calculation unit that calculates a length that can be seated on a seat of the transportation facility when the searched route is seatable;
It is a navigation system.
The second aspect of the present invention is:
A search unit that searches for a route from the departure point to the destination with reference to a route information storage unit that stores route information that represents a connection state of points where each transportation can be entered,
For each of the points, with reference to a congestion rate information storage unit that stores congestion rate information indicating the congestion rate of each transportation facility for each hour, a seating possibility of being able to sit on the seat of the transportation facility in the searched route A determination unit for determining
A calculation unit that calculates a length that can be seated on a seat of the transportation facility when the searched route is seatable;
It is a navigation device.
The third aspect of the present invention is:
A computer program,
A function for searching a route from the departure point to the destination with reference to a route information storage unit that stores route information indicating a connection state of points where each transportation can be entered,
For each of the points, with reference to a congestion rate information storage unit that stores congestion rate information indicating the congestion rate of each transportation facility for each hour, a seating possibility of being able to sit on the seat of the transportation facility in the searched route With the ability to determine
A computer that realizes a function of calculating a length that can be seated on a seat of the transportation facility when the route that is searched is seatable;
It is a computer program.
The fourth aspect of the present invention is
A user interface included in a navigation system for determining a seating possibility of being able to sit on a transportation seat on a route,
Multiple routes from the origin to the destination,
A seating possibility of being able to sit on a transportation seat in each of the plurality of routes;
When seating is possible on the searched route, a length that can be seated on the seat of the transportation facility is displayed.
It is a user interface.
The present invention can also be realized as the following forms.

(1) According to one aspect of the present invention, a navigation system is provided. The navigation system includes a route information storage unit that stores route information representing a connection state of points where each transportation can be entered; a search unit that searches for a route from a departure point to a destination with reference to the route information And; for each point, a congestion rate information storage unit that stores congestion rate information indicating a congestion rate for each time of each transportation facility; and referring to the congestion rate information at the points included in the searched route A determination unit that determines a seating possibility of being able to sit on the seat of the transportation facility in the searched route. According to such a form of navigation system, it is possible to determine whether or not seating is possible on the searched route, so that it is possible to increase the possibility of being able to sit on a transportation seat regardless of the boarding position. Can improve convenience.

(2) The navigation system according to the above aspect may include a calculating unit that calculates a seatable length on the searched route. With such a form, it is possible to present to the user how long the user can be seated on the route.

(3) In the navigation system of the above aspect, the calculation unit may calculate a ratio of a seatable time to a required time of the searched route. In such a form, the ratio of the sitting time to the required time can be presented.

(4) In the navigation system of the above aspect, when the congestion rate information at a point included in the searched route and excluding the destination of the transportation facility is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold, It may be determined that the user can be seated in the transportation seat. In such a form, when there is a point that is equal to or less than the threshold, it can be shown that the user can be seated on the route.

(5) In the navigation system of the above aspect, the search unit searches for a plurality of routes from the departure place to the destination; and may determine the seating possibility on the searched plurality of routes, respectively. . In such a form, the user can select a route based on whether or not the user can sit.

(6) The navigation system according to the above aspect may include a determination unit that determines the route recommended to the user based on the seating possibility in the plurality of routes. In such a form, a seatable route is recommended from among a plurality of routes, so that time and effort for selecting a route can be saved, and convenience for the user can be improved.

(7) In the navigation system according to the above aspect, when there is a transfer of the transportation facility in the searched route, the determination unit determines the seating possibility for each of the transportation facilities to be transferred, and is switched. The seating possibility in the searched route may be determined based on the seating possibility for each transportation facility. In such a form, it is possible to present whether or not seating is possible on the route even when there is a change of transportation.

(8) According to another aspect of the present invention, a user interface is provided. This user interface is included in a navigation system that determines the possibility of being seated on a transportation seat in a route; a plurality of routes from a starting point to a destination; and a transportation seat in each of the plurality of routes. The possibility of sitting is displayed. By referring to the user interface in such a form, the user can easily determine whether the user can sit on the route.

  The present invention can be implemented in various forms other than the navigation system. For example, the present invention can be realized in the form of a navigation device, a navigation method, a computer program for realizing the method, a non-temporary recording medium recording the computer program, and the like.

Explanatory drawing which shows the structure of the navigation system as one Embodiment of this invention. The figure which shows the data structure of congestion rate information. The flowchart of seatable length calculation performed in a route search server. The flowchart of the seating possibility determination process in a route | root and the calculation process of seatable length. The flowchart of the seating possibility determination process in a route | root and the calculation process of seatable length. The figure for demonstrating the seatable length calculation process using a specific numerical value. The figure which shows an example of a user interface.

A. System configuration:
FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration of a navigation system 10 as an embodiment of the present invention. The navigation system 10 includes a smartphone 100, a route search server 200, and a congestion rate information server 300 as terminal devices. The congestion rate information server 300 provides the route search server 200 with information related to the congestion rate of the transportation facility.

  The smartphone 100 can access the route search server 200 connected to the Internet 80 via the communication carrier 70. The communication carrier 70 includes a transmission / reception antenna, a radio base station, and an exchange station. The smartphone 100 includes a control unit 110, a wireless communication unit 120, a touch panel 124, a display unit 140, a microphone 128, a speaker 130, and a GPS receiver 136.

  The control unit 110 is configured as a computer including a CPU and a memory, and controls the entire operation of the smartphone 100. The wireless communication unit 120 performs data communication and voice communication via the communication carrier 70 based on an instruction from the control unit 110. The display unit 140 displays various images and user interfaces based on instructions from the control unit 110. The touch panel 124 is provided so as to overlap the display unit 140, receives a touch operation from the user with a finger or a pen, and transmits the touch operation to the control unit 110. The GPS receiver 136 measures the current position (longitude / latitude) of the smartphone 100 (user) based on radio waves received from artificial satellites constituting a GPS (Global Positioning System / Global Positioning System), and controls the control unit 110. To communicate. The microphone 128 inputs sound during voice communication or the like. The speaker 130 outputs sound during voice communication or the like.

  The route search server 200 includes a communication unit 210, a control unit 220, and a storage unit 230. The communication unit 210 communicates with the smartphone 100 and the congestion rate information server 300 via the Internet 80.

  The control unit 220 includes a CPU and a memory. When the CPU executes the computer program stored in the memory, the control unit 220 functions as a search unit 222, a determination unit 223, a calculation unit 224, and a determination unit 225. The computer program may be recorded on various recording media. The search unit 222 searches for a route from the departure point specified by the smartphone 100 to the destination with reference to various information stored in the storage unit 230. The determining unit 223 refers to the congestion rate information, and determines the seating possibility indicating whether or not the seat can be seated on the searched route. The calculation unit 224 calculates a seatable length that is a length that can be seated on a transportation seat on the route. The seatable length is a ratio of a seatable distance, a time, a route distance, and a required time. In the present embodiment, the calculation unit 224 calculates the ratio of the seatable time to the required time on the route as the seatable length. When a plurality of routes are searched by the search unit 222, the determination unit 225 determines a route recommended to the user based on the seating possibility and the seating length from the searched routes.

  The storage unit 230 stores road information, route information, and congestion rate information. The road information includes road network data used for searching for a route on the road. The road information includes information indicating the position of each station. The road network data includes nodes that represent the positions of intersections and landmarks such as stations, and links that represent roads connecting the nodes. Each link is associated with the average travel time (travel time) of the road represented by the link as a cost for each moving means (walking, car, bus, etc.).

  The route information is information indicating a connection state of points where transportation can be entered. The route information includes network data used for searching for routes of transportation facilities. Transportation means public transportation such as trains and buses. For example, a station where a train arriving from a different direction can enter, a station where a different train type (express train, express train, high-speed train, ordinary train) can enter, a station where a different route can enter, It is a bus stop or a station or bus stop where different transportation facilities can be used. In the following, it will be described that the transportation is a train and the point is a station. This network data includes a node representing the position of the point and a link representing a section connecting the nodes. Each link is associated with the average travel time (travel time) of the section represented by the link as a cost.

In the congestion rate information, the congestion rate for each train departing from each station is recorded.
FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a data structure of the congestion rate information. As shown in FIG. 2, in the congestion rate information, the departure time of the train is recorded for each station and for each route and direction entering the station. Each departure time is associated with a congestion rate of a train that leaves at that time. In the present embodiment, the congestion rate of 100% indicates a state in which passengers are seated in almost all seats. The congestion rate of 70% indicates a state where the number of vacant seats is 30% with respect to the total number of seats in the transportation facility. The congestion rate of 50% indicates, for example, a state in which the number of vacant seats is half of the total number of seats in transportation, and there are vacant seats that can be seated in transportation seats regardless of the boarding position. It shows a certain state. In addition, a boarding position is a position when getting into transportation. In the present embodiment, the determination unit 223 allows the user to take a seat on the route regardless of the boarding position if the congestion rate of the point excluding the destination (arrival station) on the route is 50% or less. It is determined that the person can be seated at. In addition, when there is a transfer, the determination unit 223 determines that if there is one point where the congestion rate of the point excluding the arrival station (the destination in the zone) is 50% or less, regardless of the boarding position, It is determined that a seat can be seated on the route. In the present embodiment, the congestion rate information server 300 stores the congestion rate information generated by taking statistics in advance, and when the congestion rate information is updated in the congestion rate information server 300, the congestion rate information is stored. The information server 300 notifies the route search server 200 to that effect. The route search server 200 that has received the notification requests the congestion rate information server 300 to acquire, receives the congestion rate information, and causes the storage unit 230 to store the congestion rate information.

B. Seatable length calculation processing:
FIG. 3 is a flowchart of the seatable length calculation process executed in the route search server 200. This process is a process of calculating a seatable length that can be seated on the route. First, the search unit 222 of the route search server 200 acquires information representing the departure place and the destination from the smartphone 100 (step S100). Specifically, first, when the smartphone 100 accesses the route search server 200 via the Internet 80, the user interface provided by the route search server 200 is displayed on the display unit 140. And the smart phone 100 receives designation | designated of the departure place and the destination from a user through the user interface, and transmits those information to the route search server 200. FIG. In this embodiment, the departure point and the destination are stations.

  When the search unit 222 of the route search server 200 acquires information representing the departure place and the destination, the search unit 222 performs route search with reference to the route information (step S150). In the present embodiment, the search unit 222 searches for a plurality of routes from the departure point to the destination. The search unit 222 searches for a route based on a well-known route search technique such as a die crust method.

  When the route is searched, the determination unit 223 selects one route from the searched routes (step S200). When it is not necessary to change transportation (route) on the selected route, that is, when there is no transfer station (step S300: NO), the determination unit 223 determines the seating possibility on the selected route. The calculating unit 224 calculates the seatable length (step S400).

  FIG. 4 is a flowchart of the seating possibility determination process and the seatable length calculation process on the route. FIG. 4 shows a flowchart of processing when there is no transfer station on the selected route in step S300 described above. The determination unit 223 acquires the departure station (departure place) and arrival station (destination) of the route (step S410 in FIG. 4), and determines whether seating is possible at the departure station (step S420). The determination unit 223 refers to the congestion rate information and determines that seating is possible at the departure station if the congestion rate is 50% or less at the departure station (step S420: YES). The determination unit 223 determines that a route including at least one station determined to be seatable is a route that can be seated.

  When seating is possible at the departure station, the calculation unit 224 refers to the route information and calculates the boarding time from the departure station to the arrival station as the seatable time (step S430). When the seatable time is calculated, the calculation unit 224 calculates the ratio of the seatable time to the boarding time on the route as the seatable length (step S490). When seating is possible at the departure station, the boarding time is equal to the seatable time, and the ratio of the seatable time is 100%.

  When seating is not possible at the departure station (step S420: NO), the determination unit 223 shifts the station for determining seating possibility on the route to the next stop station on the route of the train (step S440). . When the transferred station is not an arrival station (step S450: NO), the determination unit 223 refers to the congestion rate information and determines whether seating is possible at the transferred station (step S460). When seating is possible at the shifted station (step S460: YES), the calculation unit 224 calculates the boarding time from the shifted station to the arrival station as the seatable time (step S470). Is calculated (step S490). Judgment part 223 repeats processing from Steps S440 to S460, when the shifted station is not an arrival station.

  On the other hand, when the transferred station is the arrival station (step S450: YES), the calculation unit 224 calculates the seatable time as “0” (step S480) and calculates the ratio of the seatable time as 0%. (Step S490). As described above, the seatable length is calculated when there is no transfer station on the selected route.

  FIG. 5 is a flowchart of the seating possibility determination process and the seatable length calculation process on the route. FIG. 5 shows a flowchart of processing in the case where there is a transfer station on the selected route in the above-described step S300 (FIG. 3). The determination process of the seating possibility for each transfer section and the calculation process of the possible seating time (FIG. 5, S520 to S580) are the calculation process of the seatable length in the route when there is no transfer section (FIG. 4, steps S420 to S480). It is the same. That is, the determination unit 223 acquires the departure station and arrival station of the train in the transfer section (FIG. 5, step S510), and determines whether seating is possible at the departure station (step S520). Judgment unit 223 refers to the congestion rate information and determines that seating is possible at the departure station if the congestion rate is 50% or less at the departure station (step S520: YES). The calculation unit 224 calculates the boarding time from the departure station to the arrival station in the transfer section as the seatable time in the transfer section (step S530). When seating is not possible at the departure station (step S520: NO), the determination unit 223 shifts the station that determines seating possibility to the next stop station (step S540), and the shifted station is in the transfer section. If the station is not an arrival station (step S550: NO), the determination unit 223 refers to the congestion rate information and determines whether seating is possible at the shifted station (step S560). If seating is possible at the transferred station (step S560: YES), the calculation unit 224 calculates the boarding time from the transferred station to the arrival station as the seatable time in the transfer section (step S570). Judgment part 223 repeats processing from Step S540 to S560, when the changed station is not an arrival station in a transfer section. When the transferred station is the arrival station (step S550: YES), the calculation unit 224 calculates the seatable time as “0” (step S580).

  When the seatable time in the transfer section is calculated, if there is a next transfer section (step S585: YES), the determination unit 223 returns to step S510 and acquires the departure station and the arrival station in the next transfer section. (Step S510), and the seatable time is calculated (Step S520 to Step S580).

  On the other hand, when there is no next transfer section (step S585: NO), the calculation unit 224 calculates the ratio of seatable time on the route (step S590). The calculation unit 224 calculates the total seatable time for each transfer section with respect to the total boarding time for each transfer section as a ratio of the seatable time on the route. As described above, the seatable length when the transfer route is on the selected route is calculated.

  Returning to FIG. 3, when the seatable length is calculated, the determination unit 223 repeats the processing of steps S200 to S500 when there is another route (FIG. 3, step S600: YES) The seatable length is also calculated in the route of. When there is no other route (step S600: NO), the determination unit 225 determines a route recommended to the user based on the seatable length in each route (step S700). When the route is determined, route information recommended to the user is displayed on the user interface. The seatable length calculation process is performed as described above.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the seatable length calculation process using specific numerical values. FIG. 6 shows an example in which three routes are searched when the departure point is X station and the destination is Y station. Route 1 and route 2 are routes without a transfer station, and route 3 is a route with station F, which is a transfer station. When the determination unit 223 searches for three routes (FIG. 3, step S150) and the route 1 is selected (FIG. 3, step S200), there is no transfer station on the route 1 (FIG. 3, step S300: NO). ), The determination unit 223 executes the flow shown in FIG. Since the departure station X station has a congestion rate of 100% in the direction of route 1 (FIG. 4, step S420: NO), the determination unit 223 shifts the determination of seating possibility to the next stop station D station. (FIG. 4, step S450). Since the congestion rate at station D is 40%, the determination unit 223 determines that seating is possible at station D and that route 1 is a seatable route (FIG. 4, step S460: YES). The calculation unit 224 calculates the boarding time (35 minutes) from the D station to the arrival station Y station as a seatable time (FIG. 4, step S470). The calculation unit 224 calculates the ratio of the seatable time (35 minutes) to the boarding time (45 minutes) on the route 1 as 78%. Similarly, in the path 2, the calculation unit 224 executes the flow shown in FIG. In route 2, since there is no station having a congestion rate of 50% or less, the calculation unit 224 calculates the ratio of the seatable time (0 minutes) to the boarding time (45 minutes) in route 2 as 0%.

  Next, a case where path 3 is selected will be described. Since there is a transfer station on route 3 (FIG. 3, step S300: YES), determination unit 223 executes the flow shown in FIG. In route 3, the congestion rate of station X is 100%, and it cannot be seated at the departure station (FIG. 5, step S520: NO), and station F is the arrival station in the transfer section (FIG. 5, step S550: YES), the calculation unit 224 calculates the seatable time as 0 in the section from the X station to the F station (FIG. 5, step S580). From F station to Y station which is the next transfer section, the congestion rate of F station which is the departure station in the transfer section is 40%, so the determination unit 223 determines that F station is a seatable seat (FIG. 5, Step S520: YES), it is determined that the route 3 is a seatable route. The calculation unit 224 calculates a boarding time of 35 minutes from the F station to the Y station as a seatable time in the transfer section (FIG. 5, step S530). The calculation unit 224 calculates the ratio of the seatable time (35 minutes) to the boarding time (50 minutes) on the route 3 as 70% (FIG. 5, step S590). In the example illustrated in FIG. 6, the determination unit 225 determines, as a route recommended to the user, the route 1 that is the route having the largest percentage of the seatable time among the routes 1 to 3 (FIG. 3, step S700). . The display unit 140 displays the determined route on the user interface.

  FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of the user interface 150. FIG. 7 shows an example in which the route determined in the seatable length calculation process described with reference to FIG. 6 is displayed on the user interface 150. In FIG. 7, the departure point (X station), the destination (Y station), the time when search (search) is designated, the route information 151, the seatable mark 153, the seatable length (ratio) 152, and ,It is shown. The seatable mark 153 is a mark indicating that seating is possible on the route. In the user interface 150 shown in FIG. 7, a seatable station name (for example, F station) is displayed together with a seatable mark 153. The ratio 152 is the ratio of the seatable time to the required time of the route, and 150 shown in FIG. 7 displays the seatable time (minutes) together with the ratio. In the user interface 150, the route information 151 is displayed in the order of routes recommended by the determination unit 225, and is displayed in the order of route 1, route 3, and route 2.

  According to the navigation system 10 of the present embodiment described above, it is possible to present whether or not seating is possible on the searched route, so that it is possible to increase the possibility of being seated on a transportation seat regardless of the boarding position. It is possible to improve user convenience.

  In the present embodiment, since the length that the user can sit is calculated, it is possible to present to the user how long the user can sit on the route. Since the ratio of the seatable time to the boarding time is calculated as the seatable length, the user can easily grasp the time that can be seated with respect to the required time of the route.

  Furthermore, in the present embodiment, a route having a long seatable length is determined as a recommended route from the plurality of routes, so that it is possible to save the user from selecting a route and improve user convenience. Can be increased.

  Further, in the present embodiment, even if there is a transfer on the route, whether or not seating is possible on the route with the transfer is presented, so whether or not seating is possible even if there is a transfer is presented. be able to.

  Furthermore, since a route and a mark indicating that seating is possible are displayed on the user interface 150, the user can easily determine whether seating is possible on the route.

C. Variations:
C1. Modification 1:
In the above embodiment, if the congestion rate is 50% or less, the determination unit 223 determines that the user can sit on the seat regardless of the boarding position, and that the route is a seatable route. On the other hand, the determination unit 223 may determine that seating is possible when the congestion rate is less than 50%, for example, 40% or 30%. If it is determined that seating is possible based on a small value, a route that is more likely to be seated can be presented. As a value (threshold value) of the congestion rate for determining the seating possibility, for example, a value such as 70%, 60%, 50%, or 40% can be arbitrarily set to the route search server 200 by the user through a predetermined user interface. It may be settable. For example, when it is possible to quickly sit in a vacant seat, such as when it is possible to wait at the head or the front at the boarding position, it is considered that there is a high possibility of being seated even if the threshold of the congestion rate is 70%. If it is determined that seating is possible based on such a high value, more routes that are likely to be seated can be presented.

C2. Modification 2:
In the above-described embodiment, the departure time of the train (transportation) is recorded for each station (point) in the congestion rate information for each route and direction entering the station. Each departure time is associated with a congestion rate of a train that leaves at that time. On the other hand, in the congestion rate information, the congestion rate of the transportation facility that departs during that time zone may be associated with the departure time zone of the transportation facility.

C3. Modification 3:
In the above embodiment, the seatable length is the ratio of the seatable time to the route boarding time. On the other hand, the time from the seatable point to the destination may be the seatable length. In this way, the load on the route search server 200 can be reduced as compared with the case of calculating the ratio.

C4. Modification 4:
In the above embodiment, the calculation unit 224 calculates the boarding time as the required time of the route, and calculates the ratio of the seatable time to the boarding time. On the other hand, when there is a transfer, the calculation unit 224 may calculate the time including the time required for the transfer as the required time for the route instead of the route boarding time. In this way, if the transfer takes time, the percentage of the seatable time will decrease, so the transportation seat will be used for the required time including the transfer time from the departure point to the destination. The percentage of seating can be presented.

C5. Modification 5:
When a plurality of routes are searched and there are a plurality of seatable routes, the determination unit 225 may recommend a route that can be seated continuously in the transportation facility. The determination unit 225 may recommend a route without a transfer when, for example, a seatable length of a route with a transfer and a route without a transfer is the same. In this way, it is possible to present a route that allows the user to keep sitting.

C6. Modification 6:
In the above embodiment, the user interface 150 displays route information 151 and a mark 153 indicating the possibility of sitting. On the other hand, the mark 153 indicating the possibility of sitting may be displayed when the seatable length exceeds a certain threshold. For example, the display unit 140 may display a mark 153 indicating the possibility of sitting for a route in which the ratio of the seatable time exceeds 80% and 70%, and the seatable time is, for example, 10 minutes or 20 minutes. The mark 153 may be displayed for a route that exceeds. The threshold at which the mark 153 indicating the possibility of seating is displayed may be arbitrarily set in the route search server 200 by the user through a predetermined user interface. Further, the seating possibility on the route may be notified to the user by a method other than the mark 153 shown in FIG. 7, for example, may be notified by voice through the speaker 130.

C7. Modification 7:
In the above embodiment, the route search server 200 executes the seatable length calculation process shown in FIG. On the other hand, this process may be executed by the smartphone 100. In this case, the smartphone 100 preferably stores road information, route information, and congestion rate information in its own storage device. The road information, route information, and congestion rate information may be stored in a server 200 other than the congestion rate information server 300 and the route search server 200. Further, when the congestion rate information is stored in a server other than the congestion rate information server 300 or a storage unit of another terminal, the congestion rate information server 300 may be omitted. According to this modification, for example, the smartphone 100 can function as a navigation device including the search unit 222 and the determination unit 223. Note that the route search server 200 may function as a navigation device including the search unit 222 and the determination unit 223.

C8. Modification 8:
In the said embodiment, the example in case a station is designated as a departure place and a destination in the seatable length calculation process shown in FIG. 3 is shown. On the other hand, in the route search server 200, the departure point and the destination are not limited to the station, but may be the current location of the user, a facility, or the like. In this case, in the navigation system 10, the search unit 222 refers to the road information stored in the storage unit 230, for example, identifies the station closest to the departure point (nearest station) as the departure station, and is closest to the destination. Preferably, the station is identified as the arrival station.

C9. Modification 9:
In the above-described embodiment, the congestion rate information server 300 stores congestion rate information generated by taking statistics in advance. On the other hand, the congestion rate information server 300 may store the congestion rate information acquired or generated by the methods shown in (a) to (d) below or various other methods.

(A) For each station (point), the congestion rate information server 300 shows the congestion rate for each train (transportation) departure time for each route and direction entering the station, other than the operating company such as transportation From the server.

(B) For each station (point), the congestion rate information server 300 obtains the number of seats for each train (transportation) departure time for each route and direction entering the station. Obtain from the server. The congestion rate information server 300 estimates the number of people on the train based on the time, the position information of the train, and the number of terminals that transmit the position information in the train. The congestion rate information server 300 calculates a ratio of the estimated number of people to the number of seats as a congestion rate, and generates congestion rate information.

(C) The congestion rate information server 300 collects information including keywords and photos related to the degree of congestion of trains from information posted to SNS (Social Networking Service). The congestion rate information server 300 includes keywords (for example, "~ station", "sit down", "full", "rush", "~ time-to-minute departure", "to-go") and the location of the terminal that posted the information. Based on the information and the time information when the information is posted, the station, train, time and congestion rate are estimated to generate congestion rate information.

(D) The congestion rate information server 300 receives a predetermined signal from the ticket gate installed at the station, thereby counting the number of people who have passed through the ticket gate from the previous departure time to the departure time (step S1). . If the signal received from the ticket gate includes information on commuter passes or limited express tickets, determine the route and direction on which the passenger is boarding from the information, and determine the number of people for the determined route and direction. to add. On the other hand, when the information received from the ticket gate does not include information on commuter passes or limited express tickets, such as when the passenger uses only a boarding ticket, the congestion rate information server 300 enters the station. Add people for all routes and directions. Subsequently, the congestion rate information server 300 calculates the congestion rate by dividing the number of people counted in step S1 by the number of seats of the target train (step S2). That is, the congestion rate information server 300 calculates the congestion rate based on the following formula (1).

Congestion rate = (number of people counted in step S1) / (number of seats of the target train) (1)

  The congestion rate information server 300 may generate the congestion rate information by executing the congestion rate calculation routine described above for each train at each station and each departure time. In addition, as above-mentioned, when the route and direction which a passenger uses cannot be discriminate | determined, the number of persons is added with respect to all the routes and directions. Therefore, the “congestion rate” in this case does not accurately represent the congestion rate of the train. However, even with such a congestion rate, it is possible to grasp a certain tendency as to whether or not there is a possibility of being seated. Note that the processes (a) to (d) performed by the congestion rate information server 300 may be performed by the route search server 200 or another server.

C10. Modification 10:
In the above embodiment, the present invention is applied to a navigation system that searches for a route of a train. On the other hand, for example, the present invention may be applied to a navigation system that searches for routes of other transportation such as buses and ships, and transportation means such as trains and buses, buses and ships, trains and buses and ships, etc. The present invention may be applied to a navigation system that searches for routes including different transportation facilities.

C11. Modification 11:
In the above embodiment, when the determination unit 223 determines that seating is possible on the route, the calculation unit 224 calculates the boarding time from the seatable station to the arrival station as the seatable length. . On the other hand, the seating possibility on the route determined by the determination unit 223 may be presented to the user, and the processing of the calculation unit 224 may be omitted. In this case, the route search server 200 may not include the calculation unit 224. Further, when a plurality of routes are searched, the determination unit 225 determines a recommended route based on the seating possibility. On the other hand, the route search server 200 may present the seating possibility and the seating possible length of a plurality of routes in the order of arrival time at the destination, for example, and may omit the processing of the determination unit 225. . In this case, the route search server 200 may not include the determination unit 225. The search unit 222 may search for one route.

C12. Modification 12:
In the above embodiment, the smartphone 100 is applied as the terminal device. However, the terminal device is not limited to a smartphone. For example, a general mobile phone (feature phone), personal computer, tablet terminal, personal digital assistant (PDA), portable music player, portable game machine, car navigation system, portable It can be configured by various devices such as a navigation system (PND) and a wearable terminal.

C13. Modification 13:
In the embodiment, the search unit 222 searches for a plurality of routes from the departure point to the destination based on the departure point and the destination. On the other hand, the search unit 222 may search for a plurality of routes from the departure place to the destination based on the departure place, the destination, and the time. In this case, the time specified by the user or the current time is used as the time for starting the route search. Further, the search unit 222 may search for a plurality of routes that can arrive at the destination within a predetermined time with respect to the boarding time that arrives at the earliest time from the departure place with respect to the time of the search condition. Good. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 7, the earliest boarding time from the departure place to the destination with reference to the search condition time of 11:55 is 40 minutes on the route 2. If the predetermined time is, for example, twice the ride time of 40 minutes, the arrival at the destination is within 13 hours 15 minutes (within the predetermined time) based on the search condition time 11:55. A route to be searched may be searched. Then, the possibility of seating that can be seated in a transportation facility seat for each searched route may be determined. In this way, for example, when there is room in the time to arrive at the destination, a plurality of routes are searched, so that the possibility of presenting a seatable transportation facility is increased. Convenience can be improved. The predetermined time may be arbitrarily set in the route search server 200 by the user.

C14. Modification 14:
In the above embodiment, for each of the plurality of routes for which the route search has been performed in step S150 in FIG. 3, the possibility of being seated on the seat of the transportation facility is determined, and in step S700, the seating possibility in each route is determined. The route recommended for the user is determined. On the other hand, when it is not possible to recommend a seatable route to the user based on the seating possibility in each route in step S700 (for example, when there is no route that can be seated), the process proceeds to step S150. The search conditions are more relaxed than the first condition, and multiple routes that can arrive at the destination within a predetermined time before and after the time of arrival at the earliest time from the departure place to the destination based on the time of the search condition. You may make it search. Note that the predetermined time before and after this may be arbitrarily set by the user in the route search server 200.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and modifications, and can be realized with various configurations without departing from the spirit thereof. For example, the technical features in the embodiments and the modifications corresponding to the technical features in each embodiment described in the summary section of the invention are to solve some or all of the above-described problems, or In order to achieve part or all of the effects, replacement or combination can be performed as appropriate. Further, if the technical feature is not described as essential in the present specification, it can be deleted as appropriate.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Navigation system 70 ... Communication carrier 80 ... Internet 100 ... Smartphone 110 ... Control part 120 ... Wireless communication part 124 ... Touch panel 128 ... Microphone 130 ... Speaker 136 ... GPS receiver 140 ... Display part 150 ... User interface 151 ... Path information 152 ... ratio 153 ... seatable mark 200 ... route search server 210 ... communication part 220 ... control part 222 ... search part 223 ... determination part 224 ... calculation part 225 ... determination part 230 ... storage part 300 ... congestion rate information server

Claims (9)

A navigation system,
A route information storage unit that stores route information indicating the connection state of points where each transportation can be entered;
A search unit that searches for a route from the departure point to the destination with reference to the route information;
For each point, a congestion rate information storage unit that stores congestion rate information representing a congestion rate for each time of each transportation facility;
A determination unit that refers to the congestion rate information at a point included in the searched route, and determines a seating possibility of being able to sit on a seat of the transportation facility in the searched route;
A calculation unit that calculates a length that can be seated on a seat of the transportation facility when the searched route is seatable;
Navigation system. The navigation system according to claim 1,
The said calculation part is a navigation system which calculates the ratio of the time which can be seated with respect to the required time of the searched said path | route as said length. The navigation system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein
The determination unit can be seated on a seat of the transportation facility on the route when the congestion rate information at a point included in the searched route and excluding the destination of the transportation facility is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold. Judgment, navigation system. A navigation system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein
The search unit searches for a plurality of routes from the departure place to the destination,
The determination unit is a navigation system that determines the seating possibility in each of the searched routes. The navigation system according to claim 4,
A navigation system comprising: a determination unit that determines the route recommended to a user based on the seating possibility in the plurality of routes. A navigation system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein
The determination unit, when there is a transfer of the transportation on the searched route, determines the seating possibility for each of the transportations to be transferred, and determines the seating possibility for each of the transportations to be transferred. A navigation system that determines the seating possibility in the searched route based on the route. A search unit that searches for a route from the departure point to the destination with reference to a route information storage unit that stores route information that represents a connection state of points where each transportation can be entered,
For each of the points, with reference to a congestion rate information storage unit that stores congestion rate information indicating the congestion rate of each transportation facility for each hour, a seating possibility of being able to sit on the seat of the transportation facility in the searched route A determination unit for determining
A calculation unit that calculates a length that can be seated on a seat of the transportation facility when the searched route is seatable;
Navigation device. A navigation method,
A search process in which a computer searches for a route from a departure point to a destination with reference to a route information storage unit that stores route information indicating a connection state of points where each transportation can be entered,
The computer can be seated on the transportation seat on the searched route by referring to the congestion rate information storage unit that stores the congestion rate information indicating the congestion rate of each transportation facility for each time point. A judgment process for judging the possibility of sitting;
A calculation step of calculating a length that can be seated on a seat of the transportation facility when the searched route is seatable.
Navigation method. A computer program,
A function for searching a route from the departure point to the destination with reference to a route information storage unit that stores route information indicating a connection state of points where each transportation can be entered,
For each of the points, with reference to a congestion rate information storage unit that stores congestion rate information representing the congestion rate of each transportation facility for each hour, the seating possibility of being able to sit on the transportation facility seat in the searched route With the ability to determine
A computer that realizes a function of calculating a length that can be seated on the seat of the transportation facility when the seated in the searched route is possible;
Computer program.

Images